Apparatus for emulsification



Aflwfifl 9 G. G. HURRELL APPARATUS FOR EMULSIFICATION I5 Sheets-Sheet 1Filed Aug. 9, 1930 INVENTOR MI F A TTO/{NE V A wiilll mm. G. c.HURREILIL.

' APPARATUS FOR EMULSIFICATION Filed Aug. 9, 1930 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 @W[Law/ r Hue/BELL.

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Filed Aug. 9, 1930 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 [N VENTOR ATTORNEY Patented Apr. 7,1936 fiTA'l'ES roam ATE T ()FFMZE Guy Clement Hurrell, London, England,assignor,

by mesne assignments, to The Flintkote Company, New York, N. Y

sacliusetts a corporation of Mas- Application August 9, 1930, Serial No.474,287 in Great Britain August 13, 1929 12 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in processes of an apparatus foremulsification and is particularly concerned with processes of andapparatus for the manufacture of bituminous emulsions.

In the manufacture of bituminous emulsions, wherein a high speedemulsifying machine or colloid mill is employed, the reagents, forexample molten bitumen and an aqueous solution comprising a protectivecolloid, are fed to the emulsifying machine from separate tanks situatedabove it and communicating with it by pipes (fitted with regulatingvalves) down which the liquid reagents are allowed to gravitate. In aplant of this kind difliculties have arisen in practice principallyowing to the fact that variations occurring from time to time in thetemperature of the bitumen have caused substantial changes in theviscosity of the bitumen, resulting in undesirable variations in theratio in which the reacting ingredients are supplied to the emulsifyingmachine. One object of the invention is to provide means whereby thisdifficulty may be overcome.

This invention provides in combination with an emulsifying machine, twoor more tanks to contain liquid emulsion ingredients (e. g. molten orliquid bituminous material and an aqueous solution containing aprotective colloid or emulsifying agent) and two or more positivepressure pumps arranged to deliver from the tanks aforesaid to themachine.

Preferably according to this invention the pumps are coupled together sothat any change in the viscosity of one or other of the ingredients ofthe emulsion will not affect the relative proportions in which theseingredients are supplied to the emulsifying machine.

Conveniently one of the pumps (preferably the one which is to deliverthe more viscous material) is directly driven from a prime mover, andthe driving shaft of this pump is coupled to the other pump or pumps bygearing which is adjustable to provide for a speed variation.

According to a feature of the invention the emulsifying machine may bedirectly driven from a prime mover and the pumps may be driven from theemulsifying machine so that should a stoppage occur in the latter thesupply of emulsion ingredients to the machine will be automatically cutoff.

In another arrangement according to the invention reciprocating plungerpumps are employed and the plungers are operated by oscillating beamscoupled by connecting rods to a driving shaft, and for one or more ofthe pumps the coupling between the appropriate beam and connecting rodis made adjustable along the length of the beam so that the stroke ofthe pump may be varied at will.

In another arrangement according to the invention positive pressurerotary pumps are employed. One of the pumps is driven directly from theshaft of the emulsifying machine and the other pump is driven from thefirst one through a variable speed gear, for example comprising a beltdrive with an adjustable pulley for varying the speed ratio between thedriving and driven ends of the transmission. Any of the well known formsof variable speed gear may however be employed for this purpose.

Several embodiments of the invention for the manufacture of bituminousemulsions will now be described, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawings, in which Figure 1 is a diagrammatical illustration showing thegeneral arrangement of the plant,

Figure 2 is an elevation, partly in section, showing one arrangement ofpumps,

Figure 3 is a plan of the apparatus shown in Figure 2,

Figure 4 is an elevation showing an alternative arrangement of pumps,and

Figure 5 is a plan of the apparatus shown in Figure 4.

Like reference numerals indicate like parts in the various figures ofthe drawings.

Referring in the first place to Figure 1, the emulsifying machine, shownat ll], is preferably of the type described in United States Patent No.1,496,641 granted to me June 3, 1924:. This machine is supplied by twomain pumps ll, l2 with molten bitumen and with an aqueous solution(which is to constitute the continuous phase of 40 the emulsion)containing a protective colloid or an emulsifying agent (e. g. soap).The molten bitumen is drawn off by the pump i I from a heating tank itthrough a pipe conduit I I, a filter such as it or E6 being arranged ateither end of this conduit. The solution is drawn off by the pump H?from a mixing tank ll which is supplied with water from a water-heatingtank !8. The water enters the tank H by a pipe conduit iii in which is avalve controlled by a float 29. The emulsifier, stabilizer, protectivecolloid or the like (in the form of a concentrated soap solution) isdelivered to the mixing tank I! by a third pump 2! which draws off froma solution- 55 iii supply tank 22. For example in the manufacture of anemulsion in which 1% of soap is required in the aqueous phase, one partof a 10% liquid soap would be pumped into the mixing tank, while 9 partsof water would be added thereto, and 10 parts of the dilute solutiondelivered by the pump i2 to the colloid mill It. The emulsion formed inthe mill Iii is delivered to a tank 23, from which it may be pumped tothe storage tanks.

Instead of employing a water-heating tank such as i8, cold water-forinstance from the public mains-may be. delivered directly to the mixingtank ii, and at the same time exhaust or pressure steam may be injectedinto the water, the quantity admitted being preferably controlled by athermostat. Alternatively the mixing tank may be provided with a steamheating coil.

Referring now to Figures 2 and 3, the apparatus shown therein comprisestwo reciprocating plunger pumps ll, l2 for delivering respectively themolten bitumen and diluted soap solution to the mill it, and a thirdreciprocating plunger pump 2| for delivering the concentrated solutionfrom the supply tank 22 to the mixing tank ii. All three pumps aremounted on a base plate 2% and are driven from a main power shaft 25 byconnecting rods 25 and oscillating beams For one or more of the pumpsthe connection between the connecting rod 25 and the beam 2! may be madeadjustable along the beam, by means of a pin and slot connection 28, 29as shown in Figure 2. By varying the position of the pin along the slot,the stroke of the pump may be varied and consequently the output perstroke may be varied. An adjusting device of this kind may be providedfor the dilute solution pump or for the bitumen pump or for each ofthese pumps. A similar adjustment may be provided for the small pump 2|so that the ratio of the concentrated solution to the water may bevaried at will.

In the above arrangement it will be appreciated that as all the pumpsare coupled together any predetermined ratio in which the reactingingredients are supplied to the emulsifying machine is maintainedconstant, and any change in the viscosity of one or other of theingredients of the emulsion will not affect the relative proportions inwhich the ingredients are supplied to the emulsifying machine.

In the alternative arrangement shown in Figures 4 and 5, the pumps II,it and 2| are of the rotary type. The pump ii is driven by a shaft 39 towhich power is transmitted from a main driving shaft 3! by means of achain 32 and sprockets 33, The dilute solution pump it is driven by abelt 35 from the shaft 3!. The belt 35 passes over a pulley on the shaft32! of the pump I2, and also over a pulley 38 on the driving shaft 3!.The pulley 38 is of the known adjustable type comprising for example twotruncated cones which are arranged to form between them a V-shapedrecess to take a belt or similar form and which are movable towards andaway from one another to vary the ratio of the transmission. In theapparatus illustrated one portion of the adjustable pulley 38 isactuated towards the other by means of a thrust bearing 39, a fork 48and a hand-manipulating screw M. A jockey pulley A2 is also provided inorder to maintain the proper tension on the belt 35. Theconcentrated-solution pump 2| is driven by a chain 43 from the shaft 3?of the dilute-solution pump I2. The pump 2| will thus vary in speed andoutput pro rata with any variation in the speed of the dilute-solutionpump i2, and thus the relationship between the total solution and theconcentrated emulsifier is maintained constant throughout any variationin the rate of delivery of the solution. If it is desired to change theproportion of concentrated emulsifier to so lution, the sprocket wheelswith which the chain 53 co-operates may be changed, or alternatively anadjustable drive, similar to that employed for the dilute-solution pump52, may be used for transmitting power from the shaft 3'! to the smallpump Conveniently the shaft 3! is belt-driven from the main shaft of theemulsifying machine.

It will be understood that the apparatus described herein is not limitedin its application to the manufacture of bituminous emulsions but may beused for emulsifying oils and other liquids.

Having thus described my invention it will be apparent to those skilledin the art that numerous variations and changes may be made thereinwithout departing from the spirit of the invenply means and saidemulsifying means, an emuli sifying agent supply means, positive pumpfeed means located between said latter supply means and said emulsifyingmeans, and said pumps being coupled together to automatically maintainthe relative feeds of said materials to said emulsifying means constant.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein one of said pumps is directlydriven from a source of power, and the driving shaft of this pump iscoupled to the other pump by gearing adjustable to provide for a speedvariation.

3. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein reciprocating plunger pumpsare employed and the plungers are operated by oscillating beams coupledby connecting rods to a driving shaft, characterized in that for one ormore of the pumps the coupling between the appropriate beam andconnecting rod is adjustable along the length of the beam, for thepurpose specified.

4. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein rotary pumps are employed, oneof said pumps being driven from the other by a variable speed gearcomprising a belt drive with an adjustable pulley for varying the speedratio between the driving and driven ends of the transmission.

5. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein one of said pumps is drivendirectly from the shaft of the emulsifying machine, and the second pumpis driven from the first through a variable speed gear.

6. Apparatus according to claim 1, including a solution-mixing tank,separate means for supplying water and a concentrated solutionof theemulsifying agent to said mixing tank, and a pump for withdrawing thedilute solution from the tank and supplying it to the emulsifyingmachine.

7. In an apparatus for the production of bituminous dispersions, thecombination of a supply tank for heat liquefied bitumen, a supply tankfor an aqueous suspension of dispersing agent, an emulsifier, positivedisplacement pumps directly connected between each of said supply tanksand said emulsifier, and a common drive for both of said pumps arrangedto actuate said pumps to deliver material from said tanks to saidemulsifier in volumes of constant ratio.

8. In apparatus of the character described the combination comprising acolloid mill, a supply means for molten bitumen, positive pump feedmeans located between said supply means and said colloid mill, adilution tank, a supply means for a concentrated solution of emulsifyingagent and means for feeding solution therefrom to said tank, feed meansfor delivering dilute solution of emulsifying agent from said tank tosaid colloid mill, said feed means being coupled together forautomatically diluting said concentrated solution of emulsifying agentin said tank simultaneously with the delivery of diluted solutiontherefrom to said colloid mill.

9. In apparatus of the character described the combination comprising acolloid mill, a supply means for molten bitumen, positive pump feedmeans located between said supply means and said colloid mill, adilution tank, a supply means for a concentrated solution of emulsifyingagent and means for feeding solution therefrom to said tank, feed meansfor delivering dilute solution of emulsifying agent from said tanktosaid colloid mill, said feed means being coupled together forautomatically diluting said concentrated solution of emulsifying agentin said tank simultaneously with the delivery of diluted solutiontherefrom to said colloid mill, said feed means being also coupledtogether to maintain a constant ratio between the relative feeds ofmolten bitumen and dilute emulsifying agent to the colloid mill.

10. In apparatus of the character described the combination comprising acolloid mill, a supply means for molten bitumen, positive pump feedmeans located between said supply means and said mill, a constant leveldilution tank and means for supplying water thereto, a pump fordelivering a concentrated solution of emulsifying agent to said tank, apump for delivering dilute solution of emulsifying agent from said tankto said colloid mill, said two last named pumps being coupled togetherto permit automatic dilution of said concentrated solution in said tanksimultaneously with the delivery of dilute solution from said tank tosaid colloid mill.

11. In apparatus of the character described the combination comprising acolloid mill, a supply means for molten bitumen, positive pump feedmeans located between said supply means and said mill, a constant leveldilution tank and means for supplying Water thereto, a pump fordelivering a concentrated solution of emulsifying agent to said tank, apump for delivering dilute solution of emulsifying agent from said tankto said colloid mill, said pumps being coupled together to permitautomatic dilution of said concentrated solution in said tanksimultaneously with the delivery of dilute solution from said tank tosaid mill and to maintain a constant ratio between the relative feeds ofmolten bitumen and dilute emulsifying agent to said colloid mill.

12. The combination according to claim 1 including a diluting tank,means to supply water to said tank, pump feed means to supply aconcentrated solution of emulsifying agent to said diluting tank, saidlast named feed means being coupled to the pump feeding the emulsifyingagent from said diluting tank to said emulsifying means.

GUY CLEMENT HUB/BELL.

